Non-professional ice hockey has become an increasingly popular participation sport, and a goodly portion of ice hockey rinks in the northern tier of states in the United States are out-of-doors. The nets or goals which are employed with out-of-door rinks may have wood or metal framing supporting a fabric mesh or netting forming the goal enclosure. Although the goals are removable from their positions so that the surface of the ice in the goal area may be repaired and so that the goals may be stored during the summer time, the goals for out-of door rinks ordinarily are left in place during the hockey season and suffer greatly not only from the natural elements but from the results of hard play. In order to provide a sturdy, weather-resistant goal, I have built and tested a goal which employs a tubular, rigid metal framework bearing tautly stretched chain link wire fabric of the type generally used for commercial fencing. Although this goal has proven to be sturdy and weather resistant, it has been found that pucks, when shot into the goal, tend to rebound easily from the chain link surfaces and often escape from the goal. This has produced a dual problem. Firstly, since hockey pucks are often shot with great velocity into the net, with often as many as eleven hockey players congregating about the net and obstructing vision, it is often difficult to tell when a goal has actually been scored. Secondly, although the goalie may appropriately protect himself from injury from flying pucks shot from in front of the goal, the rebound of pucks, which is then from the rear of the goalies, may present a potentially hazardous situation.
Those familiar with the game of hockey will understand that a hockey goal may not be provided with a ramp extending across the front of the goal to prevent the escape of hockey pucks, nor with impact cushioning netting obstructing the mouth of the goal, since both the ramp and the netting would clearly and dangerously interfere with movements of the goalie and other players during fierce play about the goal. The mouth of the goal must be unobstructed.
A sturdy and weather-resistant goal useful for outdoor hockey rinks, which would have an unobstructed mouth and yet prevent the rebounding or rolling out of pucks from the goal would be highly desirable.